New wrinkle and other things.

I have always felt like *my* body runs better, more efficiently, on fruits and vegetables.

Maybe yours doesn't, and that's OK.

So last week, I decided to start eating primarily vegetarian. I want to optimize my body to make it perfect for running. I've enlisted the help of a trainer to build muscle, and now I'm going to turn to fruits and vegetables for the best fuel.

That's one reason. The second reason is that I am appalled at the treatment of animals who are designated for slaughter. Their treatment while living and in their moments of dying is shameful. I don't like the idea that animals are puffed up with antibiotics and other medications in order to make them the fattest possible so more meat can be gained. Those antibiotics are passed along to us. I don't want to participate in that. And while I know that my statement won't bring the meat industry to its knees and it won't make them treat their animals better, at least *I* won't be part of the problem.

I am confused about the labeling of meats -- organic and cage-free and range-free and all of that. I know that just because it's on the label doesn't mean it's so. But I'm going to try to educate myself better about those terms and buy the best quality I can for my family, who will continue to eat meat (see below).

It's not that huge of a change, really. I already eat a primarily vegetarian diet; most of the time I don't eat any meat at all until my evening meal, anyway. So I'm just making it official with some caveats (of course):

1. I am a VEGETARIAN. That's different from VEGAN. I will likely have dairy (cheese, my precious cheese!) and even eggs from time to time. Right now, I don't partake of either of those on a daily basis, and that's how I'm going to continue on.
2. My kids and husband will continue to eat as they always have. If one of my children decides to follow me, then that's fine, but I'm not going to insist upon it. They are their own people and it's totally up to them. That's how we've treated them since birth and that's how we will continue to treat them.
3. I am doing this for ethical reasons, but I'm also new to this vegetarian thing. So I might mess up at times. If you see me eating something that isn't vegetarian, don't judge. Don't laugh. I'm don't foresee myself sitting down to a big slab of steak, but I may be eating refried beans that have some animal fat in them.

I'm trying to make a difference.

This information threw my trainer for a loop, because the meal plan he had put together for me looked like this:

Breakfast: PROTEIN

Lunch: PROTEIN

Supper: PROTEIN

He was assuming animal-based proteins, and not plant-based ones. So he's going to retool his plan, and we'll revisit that on Monday. I am proving to be a big challenge for him, in a good way, because of the vegetarian thing and because I already exercise so much. I'll be eating a crapload of pasta and beans, basically. Oh, and brown rice! I love brown rice!

A woman my size only needs about 40 grams of protein a day. There can be 40 to 60 grams of protein in a steak alone!

So there it is. That's my new thing. I don't think it's going to be very difficult to do, since I'm already following it to a certain extent anyway. I already adapt our evening meals for me -- I eat mainly vegetables with a tiny bit of meat. Now I'm just taking away the meat portion.

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My 16th wedding anniversary is March 11. I am NEVER able to surprise Russ. EVER. I think the last time I gave him a gift that was a surprise was back when we were still dating and I got him the entire Ken Burns "Baseball" documentary on video tape.

I had planned to buy him a new Zune for Valentine's Day to replace the one that was stolen. Then one day, a few weeks ago, he said, "I decided to go ahead and order a new Zune. I'm lost without mine."

Ugh.

I decided a few days ago that I was going to get him a bigger computer monitor. He's been looking at them when we go to Best Buy and when we were in Houston a few weeks ago, so I knew he wanted one.

I just wasn't sure how to do it. I wanted to get him a good one and one that he wanted, but how without him knowing? I pondered asking some of the tech people at work, or making a cheesy gift certificate so he could pick it out or buying him a gift card in the amount...

So I was turning that around in my head, when I walked in from errands yesterday to see him looking at a computer monitor from Newegg.com. I said, "Let me guess. You sensed that I was going to get you a new computer monitor for our anniversary, so you decided to go ahead and order you one before I could surprise you with it."

That wasn't the case; he was just looking. But we ended up ordering that computer monitor and my anniversary/birthday gift at the same time: a Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS thingie that goes on your wrist.

I am so pumped about this! One of my big things about running is keeping track of mileage. This little number will do that without my having to use a lot of brain power thinking! I can run all over the place, confident that it will keep track of my mileage!

Speaking of which, I ran 40 miles last week. I plan to top that this week!